


Thank You

by RoseyR



Category: Free!
Genre: Artist Nanase Haruka, Childhood Friends, Drama, Fluff and stuff, Friends to Lovers, Growing Up, Growing Up Together, Haruka being Haruka, Jealous Haruka, M/M, Makoto is terrible at hiding, Merman Matsuoka Rin, Merman Tachibana Makoto, Oblivious Tachibana Makoto, Shark Rin, Shy Makoto, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, curious Makoto, lost little Makoto, orca makoto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2017-05-25
Packaged: 2018-11-03 13:07:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10967883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseyR/pseuds/RoseyR
Summary: Makoto was lost. Now he's crying. He was thankful that no one was around, even though no one could tell he was crying since he was underwater and all, but still. Still, Makoto was lost, alone, and scared. That is until he opened his eyes once he stopped crying and saw a pair of blue eyes.





	Thank You

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to write a short, cute, fluff story, so that's what you're going to get, a short, cute, fluff story with Makoto being an orca merman, and Haru being Haru.

Deep in the ocean, there was a tiny figure crying. Even though his tears mixed in with the salty ocean water, you can still tell he was crying. Makoto was a young merman with an orca tail. Even though he won't be as big as an actual orca, he will still be as strong as one. That is if Makoto can find his family before he starves to death, or get eaten.

"M-mama! p-papa! where are you!?" Makoto shouted. He looked around, but all he could see was ocean water, and no living beings around. "Mommy! Daddy!" Makoto continued to shout, hoping to see his parents. No one came. Makoto sank down to the ocean floor and sat on one of the rocks, and continued to cry.

Makoto sat there for what felt like hours, when he finally stopped crying, he opened his eyes to expect the color of the water, but instead, he saw a pair of blue eyes. Makoto gasped and backed up. He swam behind one of the large rocks that were around and hoped that whatever saw him wasn't going to bother with him. When he looked over to see if the creature was still there, he was surprised that the thing was gone. Makoto looked around and try to see where the creature went, until he felt something touching his arm.

"Eek!" Makoto squeaked. He quickly turned around and was looking at the creature with blue eyes. Actually, upon a closer look, it was a human boy wearing one of those portable oxygen tanks.

Makoto looked at the boy, while the boy stared at him. Makoto remembered that his father told him to stay away from humans since humans were curious creatures and will try to take away anything that is new to them, so seeing something like Makoto would probably be one of those things that humans have never seen and want to take away. Makoto shivered in fear and tried to back away, but unfortunately, his back his one of the boulders behind him, and the human boy was inching closer. He was trapped.

Makoto closed his eyes and hope that his death would be quick and painless, but instead of feeling something rough or sharp, he felt gentle fingers on his shoulders. Makoto opened his eyes and was staring at those blue eyes again. For some reason, Makoto felt calm, the human's eyes remind him of the warm, gentle parts of the ocean, his favorite spots. Makoto doesn't know why, but he calmed down and let the human boy grab his hand and take him somewhere. For some reason, Makoto knew that the boy wasn't going to take him to his ultimate death.

After a few minutes, Makoto could hear voices. Familiar voices. It was his family. Makoto was overjoyed that he quickly swam towards them, but immediately stopped when he remembered the human boy. Makoto turned around and saw that the human boy was about to leave until Makoto swam towards him and grabbed his hand. The boy looked at Makoto with his eyebrows raised. Makoto hesitated, but he knew he couldn't let the boy leave without saying his thanks.

"...Thank you," Makoto said. The boy looked at him with a surprised look, but his face relaxed and he simply replied with a nod. Makoto let go of the boy's hand and watched him swimming towards the surface. Makoto continue to watch, even as the boy has already left. Somewhere in Makoto's heart, he wanted to see the boy again.

* * *

It wasn't on purpose, really, it was just by chance that Makoto would see the boy once again on the day Makoto would be up in the surface and enjoy the warm sun on his skin. Makoto was about to climb on the rock he usually picks to sunbathe, but he then saw in the distance the boy he met yesterday, the same one who helped him find his way home.

Makoto knew it was the same boy even though he was no longer wearing the oxygen tank because of his black hair, his swimming trunks, and of course those ocean blue eyes. Makoto didn't know why, but he decided to hide behind the rock and watch the boy at a safe distance. Makoto wanted to talk to him again, even though the only thing he has ever said to his was a simple thank you, but still, he wanted to talk to the boy in an actual conversation, even though Makoto felt that he would be the one doing most of the talking since the boy never once said anything to him on the day they met.

Makoto saw that the boy was sitting on the sand and looking at the ocean with a sketchbook in one hand and a pencil in the other. Makoto didn't know what the boy was doing, but he understood that paper and pencil meant writing, so maybe the boy was writing something, but Makoto didn't understand why the boy was writing over there, or why the boy had paper that was bigger that the kind he was use to seeing from other humans.

Suddenly, the boy's hand started moving, but it wasn't similar to the movements of writing, it was very strange to Makoto, but Makoto couldn't help but feel curious. He inched a bit closer to get a better view of what the boy was doing, but either he accidentally splashed too hard or the fact that Makoto wasn't that great at hiding, the boy looked up and sighed in annoyance when he was looking at Makoto. Makoto blushed in embarrassment, but also became afraid that he quickly swam back behind the rock. After a few seconds, Makoto looked back and saw that the boy resumed moving his hand with the pencil on the strange paper. Makoto bit his lip and really wanted to know what the boy was doing.

"...If you want to see me drawing then you could have asked, you don't have to hide...even though you're terrible at hiding," the boy said. Makoto was shocked. He didn't expect the boy to speak, he also didn't expect him to realize that he was spying on him, even though it was unintentional. Makoto gulped and he slowly swam closer with his head looking down.

"...S-sorry...I...I didn't want to disturb you," Makoto said.

"...So you can talk, so I wasn't hearing things yesterday...then again...I didn't think I was going to see an actual merman yesterday," the boy said.

"...Mer...man? What is that?" Makoto asked.

"....It's basically a male version of a mermaid..." the boy said.

"Mermaid...oh, you mean what you humans call creatures that are half fish and half human, yes?" Makoto said.

"Yeah...judging from how you say it...what are you called?" the boy asked.

"...We don't particularly have a specific name...we just group ourselves with normal orca whales...but I guess since you humans were the one to name an orca an orca...I guess my kind will officially be named mermaids," Makoto said.

"...Whatever, do whatever you want," the boy said as he resumed drawing, not interested in what the young merman was saying.

"...When you said...I can do whatever I want...does that include me looking at what you're doing?" Makoto asked.

"...Yeah...sure...whatever," the boy said. Makoto beamed as started getting crawling on the sand until he was completely out of the water and wobbled towards the boy. The boy watch him sit next to him and lean closer towards him. The boy blushed slightly at how close they were, but resumed drawing. The boy felt Makoto moving a bit, so when the boy looked at him, he saw that his eyes were sparkling in wonder.

"What's that? It doesn't look like writing," Makoto asked.

"That's because it isn't, it's called drawing," the boy said.

"Draw...ing? What's that?" Makoto asked.

"Well...it's when you make images, sometimes you make them based off of what you see in real life or what's in your head. My grandma once told me drawing can also be done from the heart...though I don't know what that means," the boy said.

"Huh...so...what are you drawing then?" Makoto asked.

"The ocean," the boy said.

"...The ocean? Why?"

"...I always believe that the water is alive. The way it makes you feel safe, yet can also be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. The water...it's beautiful," the boy said. Suddenly, the boy realized what he just said to Makoto and blushed. "...You probably think I'm weird for saying stuff like that about water, huh?"

"No, not really. What you said about water is exactly what I and everyone in my family thinks of it. It is my home after all," Makoto smiled.

"...What's it like...living in the ocean?"

"Hm...well...it's difficult. Finding food is always a challenge, and hiding from predators all the time is very frightening...but...it's home...I do enjoy the warm water, I enjoy seeing all the colorful creatures, I especially enjoy sunbathing on those rocks, where I can enjoy the heat, but still be close to the ocean. It my home...and I love it," Makoto said.

"...I wish I could live in the ocean," the boy said.

"Eh? That seems impossible," Makoto said.

"How come?"

"Well...you're a human, you wouldn't survive in the water!"

"Oh yeah? Well I'm not too far off from being like you," the boy huffed.

"How so?" Makoto asked.

"Well...you technically have an upper body like a human...and you can speak our language...actually...how can you talk?" the boy asked.

"Well...since my family migrate to different parts of the world, we pick up each type of language we hear," Makoto said.

"Huh...another reason why I should live in the ocean," the boy said.

"I'm telling you, a human like you can't live in the ocean!" Makoto exclaimed.

"I'll show you! Meet me here tomorrow at the same time and I'll show you that I can live in the water," the boy said. He then grabbed his belongings and ran home, "you better be here tomorrow!"

"E-eh? W-wait a minute!" Makoto exclaimed, but it was too late, the boy has already left, leaving a very confused Makoto.

* * *

 Both the boy and Makoto kept their promise and met up again the next day. Makoto realized that the boy was wearing a snorkeling mask when he arrived and started to feel nervous.

"A-are you sure you want to do this?" Makoto asked.

The boy nodded. He put on the mask and dived into the water. Makoto watched the boy stay under the water for about half a minute before the boy came out of the water. Makoto clapped, amazed at how long the boy stayed under, but the boy wasn't satisfied. The boy then went under the water once more and Makoto started to panic. The boy did this multiple times and so far, the longest he has stayed under water was about a minute and ten seconds, the boy would have stayed down longer, but Makoto got too anxious and immediately pulled him out. After awhile, the boy got tired and the two were now lying on the warm sand next to each other.

"...My name is Makoto by the way...I never told you yesterday," Makoto said.

"...I'm Haruka, but you can call me Haru," Haru said.

"Haruka...that's a nice name," Makoto smiled.

"I said you can call me Haru," Haru said with an annoyed look.

"Y-yes...Haru," Makoto said.

"...You don't have to be afraid of me you know...it's not like I'm going to expose you and your family," Haru said.

"Sorry...I...I shouldn't even be with a human, let alone talk to one," Makoto said.

"...Then why are you here? Why are you talking to me?"

"...I don't know...I just want to," Makoto blushed.

"...You're really weird," Haru said.

"Says the one who has a think for the water...not that I'm complaining," Makoto giggled. Haru looked at Makoto then looked at the clear blue sky, somehow, he enjoys hearing Makoto's laughter.

The two became best of friends, and everyday they would meet each other with Makoto giving tips on how to stay underwater longer, while Haru taught Makoto a few things about drawing and other things.

"So you cook you fish with fire...does it taste different when you do that?" Makoto asked.

"I guess...I don't really know since I've never eaten raw fish...at least...raw fish that isn't in sushi form," Haru said.

"Sushi...so it's raw fish that is frozen, then let to melt at a certain temperature, then you put it with rice and seaweed?"

"Pretty much...though I heard that in America, they deep fry their sushi," Haru said.

"I've been to America once...it's really different compared to Japan," Makoto said.

"I guess....what...what is it like traveling around the world?" Haru asked.

"Interesting I guess...I see a lot of cool stuff here and there...and I also meet a lot of new creatures, and some tasty ones as well," Makoto said.

"Hm...I kinda want to travel around the world," Haru said.

"You do? Why?"

"...I want to draw everything I see...especially the water...people may think it's the same thing...but I think water in different places are different in beauty," Haru said.

"You really like water, don't you Haru-chan?" Makoto giggled.

"...Drop the -chan before I turn you into sushi," Haru glared. Makoto squeaked and dived back into the water for safetly. "M-makoto! I was just kidding!"

"D-don't do that Haru! I'm very sensitive when it comes to getting eaten!" Makoto whined.

"Jeez, you're such a crybaby," Haru sighed. Haru laid back on the sand and decided to read.

"...Is that a...book?" Makoto asked.

"...Yeah? Why?"

"...C...could you teach me how to read?" Makoto asked.

"...I'm not sure if I'm the right teacher to teach you how to read," Haru said.

"Please Haru, I don't want anyone to be my teacher except you," Makoto said.

"...Dummy, I'm the only one you know that can teach you how to read," Haru sighed. He looked at Makoto who was waiting anxiously, and with another sigh, Haru gave in, "alright, I'll do it, but you have to bring me mackerel for payment."

"No problem!" Makoto smiled. Haru began teaching Makoto how to read.

Haru was impressed at how fast Makoto was learning, but then again, orcas were very intelligent creatures, so Makoto being part orca whale probably is the reason. The two continued seeing each other and learning more about each other, about their homes, and about everything they know. However, there was a day when Haru didn't come.

"....He's very late...I hope he isn't sick..." Makoto muttered to himself as he continued to wait for Haru. The sun started to set and Makoto realized that Haru wasn't coming. Feeling sad, Makoto started going back into the water and decided that Haru will come by tomorrow. Makoto cheered himself up knowing that he'll see Haru tomorrow and they'll continue Makoto's reading lesson, and hopefully that the reason Haru didn't come isn't too bad.

If only that was the case.

* * *

"...You're sad," Makoto said when he saw Haru walking to the beach and sitting on the ground. Even though it was hard to tell, Makoto could tell that Haru was sad.

"...Yeah...I guess," Haru said.

"...What happened?"

"Nothing," Haru said.

"Haru...you don't have to lie, just...please tell me...I want to help you," Makoto said.

"Just drop it," Haru said as he started getting annoyed.

"I can't drop it, I don't want Haru to feel sad...I want Haru to be like he was two days ago...I want Haru to be happy and I-"

"Happy? How can I be happy when the person who made me happy is dead!" Haru exclaimed. Haru widen his eyes as he saw how terrified Makoto looked.

"...S-someone....died? W-who?" Makoto asked.

"...Forget it...why should I tell you? It's not like you'll understand...I'm leaving," Haru said as he grabbed his bag and started to leave.

"H-Haru! Wait!" Makoto grabbed Haru's hand, but Haru quickly pulled his hand away and continued leaving. "H-Haru...p-please don't leave...I'm sorry...I'm...sorry..." Makoto cried.

Makoto have not seen Haru for two weeks, and as each day passed, Makoto got sadder and anxious. He didn't mean to upset Haru, he just wanted him to feel better, he doesn't want to see Haru being sad. Makoto continued to wait for Haru, he even stayed on land all day, his family started feeling anxious when Makoto refused to eat and would leave immediately to continue to wait for Haru. Makoto was tired and hungry, but he didn't care, all he cares about is that Haru was okay.

When Makoto was once again swimming towards the surface, he suddenly stopped when he felt intense pain in his stomach.

"Nng..." Makoto groaned. He has been eating very little for a couple of days now and the lack of food is starting to take a toll on him.

"Oi, what are you doing?" an unfamiliar voice suddenly said. Makoto turned and was met with another merman around his age, but instead of having an orca tail, he has a shark tail. Even though orcas and sharks aren't on best terms in nature, creatures like Makoto don't really mind other creatures like him that have different animal genes, but they usually stay away from each other so no one would take their territory.

"I-I'm sorry...am I intruding your territory?" Makoto asked. He would be afraid right now, but right now, all he can focus is his aching stomach and Haru.

"No...but I've been watching you going to the surface and starving yourself...just what the heck are you doing?"

"Why do you care?" Makoto asked.

"Hey, just because we're not in the same group of animal type doesn't mean we're not the same entirely...we're still crossbreeds you know," the shark merman said.

"...I guess...sorry...but I don't have time to talk, I need to see if my friend is up there," Makoto said.

"Hold it, you can't leave without eating something. I usually don't care if another crossbreed dies...but I don't want to see them get eaten and making this place crowded with creatures," the shark merman said.

"I don't have time, I need to-" before Makoto could finish his sentence, a fish was shoved into his face.

"Eat it, then you can leave," the shark merman said.

"...Are you sure? Isn't this yours? Usually...you kind don't like to share," Makoto said.

"Just eat it before I decide to eat your lifeless corpse, which might happen very soon," the shark merman said. Makoto gulped and quickly ate the fish. Makoto was extremely happy to finally eat something that was filling, and when he finished eating, he couldn't help but want more.

"Thank you...um..."

"...It's Rin," Rin said.

"Rin. I'm Makoto," Makoto smiled.

"Right, well Makoto, if I see you starving yourself again, I won't hesitate to end your life just to end your suffering," Rin sighed.

"R-right," Makoto stuttered.

"...Who are you waiting for anyways?"

"...He's an important friend...and...I hope he'll forgive me," Makoto said.

"Well...he won't be able to forgive if you're dead...just...take it easy," Rin said.

"Thank you for worrying about me...I...I hope to see you around," Makoto said.

"Yeah...you might not want to hope for that," Rin smirked, showing his sharp teeth. Makoto started to feel anxious once again. Rin then left, and Makoto continued swimming towards the surface. Like before, Makoto continued to wait for Haru. He waited and waited, but still no sign of Haru.

It was already getting dark and Makoto knew his family was going to worry about him if he didn't return, but Makoto was too stubborn and continued to wait, even as he got cold, even as he started to get hungry, even as he started to feel dizzy. Makoto kept waiting and waiting, he already felt his skin and tail getting dry from the lack of moisture, but he kept on waiting. It wasn't until he saw black spots in the corner of his eyes that he realized that he was going to lose consciousness. Before he fainted on the sand, he swore he heard a familiar voice yelling his name, it sounded like Haru's voice.

* * *

Makoto felt something wet on his face. When he opened his eyes, he saw those familiar blue eyes.

"H....Haru?"

"I-idiot! What were you doing? You're going to make yourself sick if you don't eat anything or hydrate yourself!" Haru exclaimed.

"...I'm sorry Haru...I just...I wanted to say I was sorry for pushing you into telling me why you were sad...I didn't mean to upset you...I...I don't...I don't want to stop being friends," Makoto said.

"...No...I should say I' sorry...you were just trying to help...and I yelled at you...I...I also don't want to stop being friends," Haru said.

"R-really?" Makoto said as tears started forming in his eyes.

"Yes, now stop crying you crybaby," Haru huffed, but upon a closer look, Makoto could see traces of tears on Haru's cheek.

"Well at least I'm not the only one who is a crybaby," Makoto giggled. Haru got annoyed and pulled Makoto by his hair. "Ow ow ow! I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!" Makoto cried.

"I'll let go if you promise you will never do this again," Haru said.

"I promise!" Makoto exclaimed.

"And promise me you will eat something immediately and get some rest," Haru said.

"I promise!" Makoto exclaimed.

"Alright," Haru sighed. He let go of Makoto's hair, and Makoto rubbed his head. The two sat in silence, but soon smiled at each other.

"I still can't believe that I'm friends with a human," Makoto giggled.

"Yeah, and I never thought I'd be friends with a merman," Haru said.

"I guess fate is very strange," Makoto said.

"...Yeah...it is," Haru said. The two sat there while Haru offered half of his lunch to Makoto. The two watched as the sun started setting and the sky became dark, with only the moon and stars being their source of light. Suddenly, Haru decided to break the silence, "...I should...I feel like I need to tell you about why I was upset," Haru said.

"H-Haru...you don't have to do that...I don't want you to feel upset again," Makoto said.

"No...I've been thinking...I'm sure my grandmother wouldn't have wanted me to bottle up my feelings," Haru said.

"...Alright...I'm listening," Makoto said.

"...My grandma died...she was sick...she...she died peacefully. I...I wasn't ready...I wasn't ready for her to die...I...I want to see my grandma one more time...I want to hear her stories, I want to drink her tea, I want her to tell me all the important life lessons...I...I wish she was still here," Haru said as tears started forming in his eyes.

"...Haru...I'm so sorry," Makoto said.

"...Why...why did she have to die already? Why couldn't she stay alive a bit longer? I...I still need her....why did she..." Haru couldn't finish. His tears started falling and he felt pain in his chest.

"Haru..." suddenly, Makoto sat closer to Haru and touched his cheek with his and started rubbing their cheeks.

"W-what are you doing?" Haru said once he stopped crying and started blushing.

"...Whenever I'm sad...my mommy usually rubs her cheek with mine...it's how we try to comfort someone," Makoto said.

"...It's...it's not bad...a bit strange...but it kinda helps," Haru said. Makoto smiled at him. Haru then grabbed hold of Makoto and hugged him, Makoto was hesitant, but wrapped his arms around Haru. "...Thank you...Makoto," Haru said.

"...Huh...I guess we're even on thanking each other whenever the other is sad...huh?" Makoto said.

"...Yeah," Haru said. The two continue to sit next to each other as they watched the stars. They both knew that their friendship will last forever.

* * *

 

 It has been years since the two unlikely friends met, and now they were both young adults, with Haru being a local artist, and Makoto being a full grown merman.

"I still thought you'd be as big as an actual orca whale," Haru said looking a bit disappointed.

"I-if I was that big then I'd probably would have accidentally squash you! I-I don't want that to happen!" Makoto exclaimed.

"I guess...though it looks like you became a bigger crybaby," Haru sighed and resumed drawing.

"H-Haru-chan!" Makoto whined.

"Oi, Makoto, is the human bothering you again?" a familiar voice said.

"Rin! You came!" Makoto smiled. Haru stared at the shark merman with an annoyed look.

Makoto didn't mean to meet Rin again, it just happened. Makoto was once again seeing Haru, not realizing that Rin was secretly following him since the shark merman wouldn't admit it but he was worried that the orca merman was going to starve himself again, so when Rin followed him to the surface, he was surprised to see the orca talking to a human. When Rin found out, Makoto managed to convince him to not tell anyone, but most of all, to not eat him.

"P-please Rin, he's my best friend, please don't eat him!" Makoto cried.

"He's a human! His kind is the reason why the ocean is filled with garbage!" Rin exclaimed.

"Oi, it's not like I personally dump garbage in the ocean, don't group me up with those who do," Haru huffed in annoyance.

"Who gave you the right to talk to me?" Rin growled.

"I don't know, who gave you the right to have such a bad attitude, Jabber Jaws," Haru retorted.

"Why you little..." after a bit of arguing and Makoto crying, the three somehow became friends, though for Rin and Haru, they somehow became friendly rivals, always trying to beat each other in swimming, to which Makoto was surprised that Haru kept winning in.

"How is that possible! I'm part shark for crying out loud!" Rin exclaimed.

"Everyone knows that dolphins beat sharks any day," Haru said.

"I don't know about that, but Haru does swim beautifully like a dolphin," Makoto said.

"...Thanks..." Haru blushed.

"...Okay...you're missing the point though...he's not even part dolphin!" Rin exclaimed.

The three became great friends, though the bond between Haru and Makoto was much more stronger. However, it seems that Haru doesn't enjoy how close Makoto and Rin are getting.

"Ah Rin, where'd you get that scar from?" Makoto asked when he spotted the scar on Rin's shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, I just accidentally scraped it when I was fighting with my family over some scrap of a sea lion," Rin said.

"Still, it'll get infected," Makoto said. Makoto looked around and found some seaweed. He went over to Rin and tied the seaweed around Rin's shoulder. Rin slightly blushed, which didn't go unnoticed by Haru. "Rin, are you getting sick? Your face is red," Makoto said when he looked up.

"I'm not sick, it's just this stupid heat, I'm going for a swim," Rin said as he dived underwater and left the two alone.

"...Rin seems flustered all of a sudden," Makoto said.

"Probably caught something stupid," Haru said as he tried to focus on his drawing, but can't seem to concentrate.

"Haru, why are you so mean towards Rin?" Makoto pouted.

"I'm not mean to him...he's just so annoying...his annoy face to his annoying talking," Haru huffed.

"You didn't seem to mind him yesterday..." Makoto said.

"Well he was less annoying yesterday...let's just forget it and start your lessons," Haru said.

"I don't know Haru...you seem really upset all of a sudden...maybe we should talk about it," Makoto said.

"I said forget it!" Haru exclaimed. Makoto flinched and looked down on the ground. Haru realized what he did and felt guilty.

"...I-I'm sorry Haru...I-I didn't mean to upset you..." Makoto said.

"...No...I'm sorry...look...I'm just stressed...I need to finish this drawing, but I don't know what to draw...I think I'll head home early today," Haru said.

"A-alright...if that's best for you. I'll see you tomorrow Haru," Makoto said.

"...Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow," Haru said.

Makoto watched Haru grab his things and left the beach. Makoto waved him goodbye to which Haru returned, and Makoto watched Haru leave the beach. Makoto sighed and went back into the water. Just as he was about to go home, he saw Rin crossing his arms with an annoyed look.

"Rin, what's wrong?" Makoto asked.

"...It's that idiot human friend of yours," Rin said.

"Eh? Haru? Why? What about him?" Makoto asked.

"He didn't have to get so jealous just because you were being nice to me," Rin sighed.

"Eh? Jealous? What are you talking about?" Makoto asked.

"Jeez Mako, you're really dense! And I thought orcas were suppose to be intelligent," Rin sighed.

"Rin, what are you talking about?" Makoto asked.

"...It's not really my place to get involved, so figure it out yourself. Besides...in the end, you're going to pick him anyways, not like I had a chance in the first place," Rin sighed, but smiled sadly.

"...Rin?"

"Hey...I think I'm going to go away for a bit...maybe go to Australia...I heard the great white sharks over there are a lot of fun, and I might get a few pointers on a few things," Rin said.

"A-are you sure? Won't you miss us?" Makoto asked feeling a bit sad that his friend will be leaving.

"I will, but don't worry, it's not like I'll be gone forever, I'll be back, only to make sure you're not doing something stupid and to teach that human that he can't beat a shark like me," Rin smirked.

"Can't wait to see that," Makoto smiled.

"...You take care Makoto...and...look forward to what Haru has to say to you...I'm sure that day won't be too far away," Rin said.

"I still don't understand," Makoto said.

"Just...listen to your big heart, you big wuss," Rin said. He flicked Makoto in the forehead, smirked at him, and left. Makoto rubbed the spot Rin flicked him and watched him leave. Makoto didn't understand what Rin meant, but he kept Rin's words to heart.

Makoto started swimming back to where his family would be, but couldn't help but think about Haru. Suddenly, his heart ache, both from the fact that Haru was upset, but also from something else. Something Makoto doesn't know about. All he could think about was seeing Haru.

"...I wonder what he's doing..."

* * *

Haru was laying down on his bed. He was looking at the ceiling while his mind thought about what happened earlier. He didn't mean to yell at Makoto, he didn't mean to be angry at Rin. Rin is a good friend, but for some reason, Haru didn't like the fact that Makoto and Rin were being too friendly with each other.

"He's my best friend, I met him first...stupid shark," Haru huffed. He realized what he just said to himself and became even more confused. He decided to look online and see why he was acting like this. As he was letting his computer load, he looked at his unfinished drawing. For some reason, Haru is having some art block, which is unusual for him since the majority of his work involves water, but for some reason, this new project was having some problems forming. Haru sighed and went back to looking at his computer. Haru typed up his symptoms and so far, all the searches weren't helpful, that is until he clicked on his tenth search.

"...You got to be kidding me," Haru huffed. He feels like he's in one of those mangas where the main character just realized they're in love. Haru was in fact in love with Makoto. The biggest crybaby he has ever seen. The one who keeps calling him Haru-chan. The one who smells like mackerel, not that Haru minded in the first place. The one with the prettiest green eyes and smile. The one who looks adorable when he cries pathetically. The one who made Haru enjoy someone's company that wasn't his own parents or his grandmother. The one who was there when Haru was grieving over his late grandmother. The one that Haru can't live without.

Haru looked outside and thought about Makoto. The way he smiled. The way his eyes shine every time he learns something new. The way he gets excited when Haru beats Rin in a race. The way Makoto looks completely relax whenever he was around. Haru wanted to hug the merman. He wanted to hold his hand. He wanted to swim with him. He wanted to...he wanted to...

Haru closed his eyes and imagined it. He imagine those lips touching his. He imagined how soft they could be, and how salty they might taste. Haru blushed at the thought and couldn't wait to tell Makoto his feelings. Haru looked outside once again and realized it was getting late. However, before Haru could turn off the lights and sleep, he looked at his unfinished drawing and got a huge hit of inspiration. He quickly went towards his desk, grabbed his pencil, and started drawing. He really couldn't wait to see Makoto tomorrow.

* * *

Makoto was once again waiting for Haru at their usual spot and the usual time. Makoto has already heard from some of the other shark mermaids that Rin has already left for Australia. Makoto was sad that Rin was gone, but was happy for him. Makoto continued to wait for Haru, and as every second went by, his heart started beating faster and faster at the knowledge that he'll be seeing Haru very soon.

Makoto suddenly hear footsteps and Makoto quickly turned around. "Haru-chan!" Makoto exclaimed happily.

"...Hey," Haru said shyly. Makoto was surprised and confused. Usually, whenever Makoto greets him with -chan in his name, Haru would get annoyed and tell him to drop the -chan.

"Haru? Are you alright?" Makoto asked.

"....Y-yeah...I...I want to show you something," Haru said. Makoto could faintly see Haru's cheeks blushing, which caused Makoto to blush.

"A-alright, what is it?" Makoto asked. Haru walked over and pulled out his sketchbook. Haru flipped open the sketchbook until he landed on the page he was looking for. Haru gave the sketchbook to Makoto, who carefully took it and made sure the water doesn't get on it too much. Makoto looked at the drawing very carefully. He was amazed once again with how beautifully Haru drew the water, but the one thing that was different from all of his old drawings was that there was a person in the middle of the drawing, but it wasn't of any person, it was of him. "I-is this m-me?" Makoto blushed.

"Yeah...Makoto...I...I have to tell you something," Haru said. Makoto suddenly remembered Rin's words from yesterday, and his heart quicken. "...The reason why I was upset yesterday was because I was jealous...I don't like seeing you being so nice to Rin."

"But Haru, Rin is our friend," Makoto said.

"I know...but...I only want you to look at me like that...I want you to only look at me," Haru said.

"Haru-chan...."

"Makoto...I love you," Haru said.

"Haru..." Makoto felt tears forming in his eyes. He feels so happy. He suddenly realized why he was feeling odd yesterday, why his heart quicken when he thought about Haru, why he wanted to see Haru so badly. He was also in love with Haru. "H-Haru-chan...I...I love you too!" Makoto cried. Makoto hugged Haru tightly and buried his face into Haru's shirt. Haru returned the hug and stroked Makoto's hair. They both pulled away from the hug and stared at each other.

"I'm going to kiss you," Haru said.

"E-eh? W-what's a kiss?" Makoto blushed.

"Just close your eyes," Haru said.

"A-alright," Makoto blushed. Makoto closed his eyes and felt Haru's lips on his. It was a strange feeling since for Makoto's kind, they don't usually do this kissing thing, they just rub each other's cheek affectionately. However, it didn't feel bad.

"I love you Makoto," Haru said once he pulled away from the kiss.

"I love you too, Haru-chan," Makoto smiled. Tears still forming his eyes.

"Crybaby," Haru said. He wiped Makoto's tears with his thumb and smiled at the orca merman. The two embraced each other tightly and were thankful that they met. Haru was thankful to find the merman and help him. Makoto was thankful that he took a chance and talked to Haru.

They were both thankful that they met each other and that their feelings were finally out. The two continued to enjoy each other's company for the rest of their time.

_**The End!**_


End file.
